An Alternate Path
by brickboat
Summary: Izuku Midoriya's quirk manifests on his 5th birthday.


**A/N:** I know a lot of people have thought about what would happen if Midoriya wasn't born quirkless, but this is my own personal take on it.

* * *

Izuku Midoriya's quirk manifests on his 5th birthday.

He's at home. He's having a birthday party. There are the kids from his neighborhood, as well as a few from kindergarten. There are some adults too. It's time to cut the cake. The candles are lit. The lights are out. Everyone is singing Happy Birthday. The match Mommy used still had a little smoke coming from it.

The candles are warm. He stares at them. The flicker too and fro. Pretty.

The singing finishes. It's time to blow out the candles.

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

He needs to make a wish.

And that's easy. There's only one thing he wants.

He focuses on the candles in his mind.

On the fire at their ends.

They'll make his wish come true.

He knows it!

They're so warm.

"Hey, is that-"

Huh?

It's bad to talk before the birthday boy blows out his candles. Everyone knows that! _Especially_ adults.

He opens his eyes, and there are five little lights floating right in front of his face.

He looks at the cake.

The candles aren't lit anymore. And he didn't even blow on them!

He blinks.

The flames poof.

Everyone's quiet until one of the adults speaks up.

"Did you see that?"

"Yeah," says another.

Another kid's dad pulls out a lighter and clicks it. A flame appears out the top. He points it at Izuku.

"Hey buddy," he says. "Think you can try that again?"

"Try what?" asks Izuku.

"The light – try pulling it closer to yourself."

Hm...

He stares at the flame.

Mommy always moves her hands when she wants to pick up something. Izuku tried doing it too before, but it didn't work. Because he doesn't have Mommy's quirk. He can't move his toys or anything. And he's tried a _lot_.

But... Maybe...

He holds out his hand. And stares at the light.

He wants it to come closer.

He wants to believe.

He move's his hand like a kitty's paw.

And the flame begins to float towards him.

Slowly.

Closer.

Then it poofs.

Just like the candle lights did.

Everyone is quiet.

Then Mommy says:

"Izuku! Do you know what this means?"

He did. He _did_.

"I have a quirk!"

He jumps up. His chair scoots back behind him. He shoots his fists in the air.

Everyone else in his class has a quirk. Now he has one too, just like them!

Some of the other kids jump out of their chairs too. One asks his dad to use the lighter again. One of the girls tells him she always knew he'd get a quirk. Kacchan tells her to "shut up, you thought he was a quirkless wonder too". Aunt Mitsuki swats him on the head tells him not to use that kind of language.

The adults make everyone sit back down. It's time for cake, even if Izuku didn't actually blow out the candles. Some of the kids groan in disappointment. They want to see Izuku's quirk some more, and play with theirs too. But the adults say no and that's that.

Izuku doesn't mind, though.

He's so _happy_.

* * *

Midoriya and Kacchan slowly grow apart over the years.

There's no big argument or anything that makes them truly stop being friends. They live in the same neighborhood, so of course they still played together in elementary school. Kacchan wasn't as mean, and he didn't call Midoriya a quirkless wonder anymore (though the nickname 'Deku' still stuck, annoying as it was). But Midoriya made other friends at school and a lot of times he found himself walking (part of the way) home with them instead.

By their last year of middle school, they don't really talk at all unless All Might did something super cool or their parents are having dinner together. There isn't any tension, though. Sure, Kacchan calls everyone in class fodder and that's a pain, but that's just Kacchan being Kacchan. He's used to it.

Kacchan seems to be fine with his lackies. Midoriya's fine with his fellow hero fanboys. There isn't really any reason for them to stick with one another. So they don't. It's as simple as that.

When it comes time to choose their preferred high schools, Midoriya considers putting U.A. as his top choice. He'd be honestly surprised if there's anyone in their class that doesn't. Everyone wants to be a hero, and U.A.'s the place to go if you want to make it big (not to mention it's where All Might went). His notebooks have a fair share of hero costume designs and hero names to go with them, some based on All Might (because he's the best, even if their quirks have absolutely nothing in common), some on Endeavor (who's quirk has a lot more in common with his), and then others that focused more on complementing his quirk than anything.

But... well...

Over ten-thousand kids apply every year.

Only _forty_ get into the hero course.

Kacchan has a shot. He's a prodigy. He's got a flashy quirk with the power to back it up. And he works harder than everyone else in school: Midoriya has seen the way he trains. He can _fly using explosions_ now. That's _amazing_.

If anyone from their school's gonna make it in, it's gonna be him.

Midoriya? He loves to watch heroes. He loves to take notes on heroes. But he's barely done any of the necessary physical training _required_ to be a hero. And there's also the matter that his quirk isn't suited for physical combat. He can pull and manipulate fire, but that power only has any use when there are actual fires to use. He'd be limited to putting out fires, villains that use fire, and acting as support for other heroes that use fire themselves (he tries to imagine himself as Endeavor's sidekick – haha oh man).

Which would make getting into U.A. all-but impossible. He might have a slightly better chance of getting into Shiketsu, but not by much. Other schools wouldn't provide the same opportunities and Midoriya didn't have the kinds of connections to make up for them. And going to a college with a hero program was an even bleaker option, to be perfectly honest.

Midoriya likes to help people, and the idea of being a person others can admire and look up to has always appealed to him. He wouldn't have to make to the absolute top (his lack of charisma alone is enough to make that a pipe dream), but being recognized by others is what draws most people to become heroes. And he isn't one of the rare exceptions that really _does_ want to do it for the fights.

And as long as he does his part to help the community (and does a commercial or two) and saves his money, he could probably live comfortably as a hero without having to get a second job, even if he never gets highers than the triple-digits when the rankings get posted. He knows of a few heroes like that in his general area. Their days seem to consist mostly of patrols with little action. It seems a little repetitive, but they seem content enough with the work they do.

But would _he_ be satisfied with just that?

* * *

Midoriya passes the entrance exam to a good local high school.

He and a few friends from the Hero Watchers Club made a pact to stay in town. The club wasn't anything super active (since it's not like there's anything to compete for), and all they really did that was relevant was talk about the latest hero news – maybe camp out a crime hotspot once in a while if the weather was good. Otherwise they just hang out like a regular middle schoolers. Getting fast food, going to the arcade downtown, watching movies at each others' houses, studying for their exams – stuff like that.

They're good friends, and he's happy to have spent his middle school years together with them.

The day the entrance exam results are posted, he and his 3rd-year friends go to see them together. Every single one of their numbers is on the board. Hugs are shared. Tears are shed. One of his friends asks Midoriya if he's _sure_ he doesn't have a hidden water quirk lying around somewhere. They're home free now. They don't have to do much studying for the rest of the year.

A few kids in their year make it into schools with _some_ kind of hero program. Despite how hyped everyone had been to become heroes at the beginning of the school year, most of them came to understand that it wasn't a good idea by the time the entrance exams rolled around. The remaining few get into lesser-known schools, with one exception.

That exception is Kacchan, of course. He makes it into U.A., and he even stood at the very top of the rankings in the practical portion. Over ten thousand students, and his childhood friend already stood at the very top among them. Midoriya's excited for him. So are the rest of his friends. Anyone who knows Kacchan knows he'll be one of the greats (and a pragmatic few try and get an autograph, since it'll be worth a lot more later on when he _does_ make it.)

And what's even _cooler_ is that All Might's going to be teaching at U.A. starting that very spring! Though he'll be teaching the 3rd years, for the most part. But still, that means Kacchan's going to get to learn from him when _he's_ a third-year. He'll get to learn from the greatest hero Japan's ever known. That's _amazing_!

Midoriya asks Kacchan to get him an autograph if he gets the chance. Kacchan calls him a nerd.

* * *

U.A.'s Class 3-A is attacked during a training exercise.

It happens at U.A.'s Unforeseen Simulation Joint. Dozens of villains pour out of a gaseous portal right as the lessons are about to begin. The students are separated into small groups and scattered across the different zones. It's utter chaos and confusion.

…Which does little to increase the villains' odds, if at all. The students make short work of the thugs hired to dispatch them before the other teachers can arrive. And they even stop the monster those villains brought along too. Only two of the villains – one the leader, and the user of that teleportation quirk, manage to escape.

It's taken by the media as a testament of just how effective U.A. is at training its students. The villains were apparently after All Might, who hadn't gone with the class that day. But he wasn't needed at all. And to be honest, the only teacher on the premise probably wasn't needed either. The kids were just that good.

There's speculation within certain nooks and crannies of the internet that this incident was just a publicity stunt. It's awfully convenient that the ringleaders who orchestrated the attack were also the only ones who managed to escape. And that the villains who had been arrested were all just hired thugs who couldn't provide any actual information.

Regardless, the incident is forgotten by pretty much everyone within a few days. No one had been seriously injured. Those villains had clearly been taught a lesson. And while it was made apparent that U.A. needed to look over their security measures, the students clearly weren't in any danger.

Mom mentions that she's glad it wasn't Kacchan's class that happened to. Midoriya would be very surprised if Kacchan didn't feel otherwise.

* * *

Kacchan comes out on top in the freshman section of the U.A. sports festival.

But what's even more impressive is his opponent in the final round. Hitoshi Shinsou is a student from the general education department. Having first event allow 42 people to pass always guaranteed that at least two kids from outside the hero course would be able to continue, but it wasn't often that they made it to the final tournament. And making it to the final round of that tournament was almost completely unheard of.

Even _more_ notable is how he defeated two children of well-known hero lineages. He defeated Shouto Todoroki, son of the hero Endeavor. Then he defeated Tenya Iida, brother of the current bearer of the Ingenium name. Both were incredibly impressive in the matches they had beforehand, but both were defeated in the same way – by being controlled like puppets and forced to walk outside the ring.

Midoriya noticed a pattern after Shinsou's second win, and Kacchan must have as well. The mind control was not immediate. At the beginning of the matches, they were free. It was only after he spoke and after they responded that they would fall under the effects of his quirk. The control was also strong-enough that none of his opponents were able to make any show of resistance.

So Kacchan keeps mum when their match starts, and Shinsou is thrown outside the ring in under a minute.

It's also interesting to watch the conversation the match sparks about the way students are admitted to the hero course. Because of its physical nature, quirks like mind control would be completely overlooked unless the potential student in question was capable of taking on robots without theirs – something all but impossible without support items made specifically for that purpose.

Midoriya thinks about his own quirk. Had he applied to U.A. and actually gotten in, he likely would have been in the same boat as Shinsou. And he wouldn't have even been able to use his quirk to his advantage anywhere aside from _maybe_ the cavalry battle.

If he had any doubts before that he made the right call, this dissipates them.

* * *

The death of a U.A. student makes national news.

Tenya Iida, younger brother of the former Ingenium, falls at the hands of the vigilante known as Stain. It happened during the week of scheduled field training U.A. had with various heroes around the country. Stain was the villain who had crippled Ingenium himself. And there's an irony in the fact that it's that same villain that kills his brother.

The details are murky on what exactly had happened. All parties at the scene beyond the villain in question were dead. The prevailing theory was that Iida must have seen Native and rushed in to help, only to be slain himself – a truly heroic attempt for someone so young. Manual's body was found not too far away – he himself seemed to have been calling for backup.

The league of villains had launched an attack on the Hosu district at the same time. Endeavor had been on the Stain case, but those monsters ('nomu', they were called) had been enough to keep him and all the other heroes on the scene occupied. Manual had told a fellow hero on the scene that he was going to search for his intern when it looked like they had everything under control. That was the last time anyone saw him alive.

Stain was known to leave his victims alive, if crippled, on occasion. This was not one of those times.

Stain had posted many videos on his ideology of being a hero. The production values weren't anything to write home about, and lots of what he said was completely crazy; but the sheer vigor his words had was enough to make more than a few people think he had a point. One could even say he even had the makings of a revolutionary great-enough to make it into the history books.

Ironically, this incident is what prevents his message from propagating among the masses. Plenty of people were cynical about the hero system as a whole, and there was a lot of criticism levied towards the fact that many heroes treated the job of saving others like a popularity contest rather than a job requiring one to put their lives on the line for the sake of others. And even Ingenium wasn't exempt from that, especially as someone who came from a hero lineage and whose popularity mostly came from his family name rather than any notable accomplishments.

But Stain had chosen to kill his brother: A boy that was only fifteen years old. That alone was enough to stop companies from producing bootleg (could it even be called that?) merchandise. Lots of people could get behind the idea of a rebel underdog who wanted to change the system. No one was going to support a child killer.

Yaoyorozu, the class president, gives a eulogy on behalf of their class the Sunday after the incident. He only knows this because Aunt Mitsuki when Midoriya and his mom have dinner with the Bakugous that weekend. The funeral was private – only attended by family, friends, and classmates. And a few of Ingenium's former sidekicks made sure it stayed that way. Kacchan doesn't say much. He just focuses on his food.

Midoriya worries about about him. 3rd years were one thing (and they didn't have even a single casualty). This guy was a part of his class. Apparently Iida was a hardass and a total stick in the mud, but he'd been voted in as the vice president of their class following an incident where a whole slew of reporters somehow managed to get past the U.A. gates.

But it seemed no one had bothered making sure he was alright after what happened to his brother. He had to have gotten quite a few recommendations of his own, he chose hero known only locally in that same area his brother had fought Stain in. Manual had an elemental quirk – and it was common knowledge that elemental heroes had a tendency to be flashy, but he took the safety of his community as a higher priority than fame. So the fact that Iida chose him was... strange to say the least.

Kacchan isn't someone who openly says when he cares, but no one goes to high school expecting their classmates to die. Midoriya doesn't press him. It won't help.

All he knows is that there is no longer anyone who can carry the Ingenium name. A name that had been carried through generations. Tensei Iida, the man who had worn it, was crippled to the point even modern medicine couldn't do anything about it. Tenya Iida, his younger brother, would not be able to take on the title in his stead because he himself was _dead_. There were no other children. The former Ingenium was long-retired. No one else could take on the mantle. The Ingenium lineage was no more.

It's strange thinking that a crime so senseless could cause the end of an era.

* * *

The Villains Alliance attacks U.A. one last time.

It happens during a summer training camp excursion. Once again, they attack the third-years. Once again, they're soundly defeated.

The villains themselves this time are fewer in number, but much more notable than the two-bit thugs from the USJ incident. One is the villain that killed the hero duo Water Hose two years ago. Another is a serial killer young enough that her name isn't released in the news reports. Another is a nomu. The other villains are just noted as being very powerful, though there's one, 'Dabi', who apparently was _very_ good at hiding all actual information about himself.

All of them are captured. They didn't a chance. They were up against 40 young adults ready to graduate from the best hero program in the country – many ready to debut as full-fledged heroes in a matter of months. The students probably would've just been fine even without pro heroes acting as chaperones alongside the teachers.

According to one of said students, the same type of portal used in the USJ incident also appeared in the area; but it quickly dissipated before anyone could try and see what was on the other side. But Midoriya will be very surprised if this 'Villains Alliance' has any heavy hitters left at at all.

* * *

Midoriya and his friends watch as All Might fights what many later deem the greatest villain of the century.

The TV was only supposed to be background noise as they hung out, but their eyes are glued to it as soon as the live footage begins to roll. Their friend that's hosting immediately goes to the kitchen to get some chips and soda. All Might still does hero work on a regular basis, but it's been a while since he's been part of a fight this big. The teaching gig has to eat up a lot of time, after all.

There's rubble everywhere. The fight's happening in the middle of a city, but the ground is surprisingly flat. The buildings around the outer edge stood nowhere near their full heights. Midoriya has trouble believing that it was a single villain that caused all that distraction, but there is only one he can see in the area – standing along in the middle of that leveled area.

There are a lot of other big-name heroes as well. Endeavor, Best Jeanist, Mt. Lady, Edgeshot – it's not like the general public was told about potential large-scale takedowns before they happened, but to see this many big-shots in one place meant it was _huge_. Midoriya finds himself leaning closer to the TV – like he'll miss something if he doesn't stay completely focused.

But with what looks to be a burst of energy, every single one of those heroes is knocked to the ground.

All but two.

All Might was obvious. He's the strongest hero in Japan. They'd be in_ real_ trouble is _he_ was down for the count.

But alongside him stands a young man with blond hair and a long red cape.

Midoriya recognizes him as Sir Nighteye's sidekick. It doesn't make sense for a student to be standing among giants like that, and much less-so that he was the only other one left standing. He's not even twenty years old. He hasn't even _graduated_ from _high school_.

But against all odds, there he is. It's amazing. _Really_ amazing.

That student winds up becoming a key player in the fight too. His ability to phase through solid objects allowed him to avoid the shockwaves and tossed rubble that immediately took out most of the other heroes on the scene. It allows him to dodge blows from up close, no matter what form the villain's limbs took (Midoriya wonders what kind of quirk that villain has to have to allow for so many different types of attacks).

The other heroes left (thankfully that initial attack only extended so far – Midoriya doesn't want to think about what would happen if that villain could have leveled even _more_ of the city) work to save as many people as possible. This fight is in the middle of an urban environment. There are already civilian casualties. It's still too dangerous near the epicenter for paramedics to move in, so the heroes are bringing those people to them instead.

All Might and the student work together to fight the villain. For someone so young, the latter manages to get a lot of good hits – even breaking the villain's mask. He zips between buildings, seemingly launching himself from them. His punches are reminiscent of All Might's own – in both form _and _power. It seems like the villain can't even follow his movements – one movement Midoriya can only assume was meant to counter is so slow in comparison that he's already hit from the side when it finishes. It's incredible.

But even that student his limits. He takes a hit to the gut and flies through solid concrete. And doesn't come out. One of the support heroes jets in after him. Which means he's probably down for the count. Though even if he wasn't knocked out, any injuries worse than a few bruises would just make him a liability if he tried to continue.

That just leaves All Might.

The villain had been focused on him from the start – that may have been why the student was able to get so many hits in before getting swatted away. Though Midoriya can only make guesses. He's not a mind reader.

Both All Might and the villain look terrible. It finally registers how skinny All Might looks now that the pace of the fight isn't going a mile a minute. His costume is hanging off him. His face is gaunt. He looks like he's aged thirty years in a matter of minutes.

The villain doesn't look any better. That broken mask revealed... nothing. No eyes. No nose. No face at all besides a mouth. His posture is hunched. Midoriya doesn't even want to know what he looks like under the rest of that suit.

There's a lull in the violence. It looks like the two of them are talking about something. The camera isn't close enough to catch the audio. There's too ambient noise anyway.

Then All Might flexes his arm to it's normal size.

The villain does... _something_ with his own arm.

They both wind up punches and-

...

The signal cuts out.

Then comes back a few moments later. The camera pointing away from the scene – not even pointing at a reporter. There's no audio. That bothers Midoriya in a way he can't quite place. He knows about the seven second delay news organizations use. But he doesn't know why they would decide to use it right then.

There's no way All Might could have lost. None. So what happened?

One of Midoriya's friends grabs the remote and cycles to a few different news stations before returning to the one they were just on. All of them are the same – none of the action; some missing audio or video. All the ones with video feed cameras are pointed away from the scene.

The reporter comes back on screen. She says neither All Might nor the villain are moving.

The camera still won't point to the scene.

It's not unreasonable to expect All Might to get up. Things like this have happened before. But he always gets back up.

He _always_ gets back up.

But the camera still won't point to the scene.

The reporter narrates. She says paramedics are rushing to All Might's side. Some check on the villain too. Midoriya knows that means the fight is over – that it's safe for non-heroes to move in.

There's a shakiness to her voice as she says a minute later that both All Might and the villain are being loaded onto stretchers.

She moves on to talking about the paramedics and other heroes at the scene taking care of the casualties.

Midoriya knows that villains that dangerous are normally put into an iron maiden after they're subdued.

He also knows that the ones who aren't are still restrained in some way.

And it doesn't seem like this villain was.

Which means...

...

The camera still won't point to the scene.

The reporter doesn't mention All Might again.

Midoriya and his friends can only stare in shocked silence as the reality sinks in.

* * *

There's a memorial made and dedicated to All Might in the heart of Tokyo. A statue stands atop it overlooking Yoyogi park.

There's a public funeral nearby where thousands of people come to pay their respects. Midoriya is one of them. He actually gets a good place, all things considered. He can see the casket. He can clearly hear the eulogies. Tears are pouring down his face five minutes in and don't stop until it's all over.

The students of U.A. who choose to come all get good seats. And lots of them do. A block of seats is taken by teenagers in matching uniforms. Another is taken by adults in widely varied costumes – all the biggest names in the hero business (active or otherwise). Usually said heroes stuck to proper funeral attire with _maybe_ a piece of added gear or two if the deceased was a colleague, but this was what many considered the end of an era. All Might was the symbol of peace. He was the reason Japan has such low crime rates compared to the rest of the world. Now it was up to all of Japan's other heroes to keep that peace.

Then there are well-known politicians, high-ranking members of the police, inventors of support items – it seems like representatives from every faction of society have come to pay their respects. There are definitely still a few heroes doing their normal patrols, of course; but Midoriya would be very surprised if they had a lot of work today. He can't imagine more than a few villains trying to take advantage of the circumstances.

He meets Kacchan after. They take the train home together. Neither of them say anything.

* * *

The villain that caused the Kamino incident went by the name All for One.

It turns out the nomu – those monsters that had wreaked havoc during the USJ and Hosu incidents, were being manufactured in the Kamino Ward. That large-scale raid had been coordinated in order to take control of those facilities. Top heroes were assembled. Even without their top brass, the facilities were still active, which meant it was possible that there were still hostile agents capable of attacking.

Midoriya knew about that villain even before the Kamino incident. There have always been rumors on the internet. And really, the only that gave them any real credence was just how long they had lasted. This wasn't just some internet boogeyman creepypasta that some 12-year-old wrote. It was common knowledge that there were things no textbooks covered. In this case, it was the one man who had on his own united Japan for a time during that chaotic era where quirks just began to emerge.

It was _that_ man who All Might had defeated. One thing Midoriya notices later within his research is that those nomu were manufactured from humans. Real live humans. Humans stuffed with _something_ that let them have multiple quirks with the side effects of being all but brain-dead, who were capable of doing little more than following orders.

And yet no one reported on that. He couldn't even find any records of the deceased, much less any family members. A small news outlet reported that the men and women used in those experiments had chosen to undergo those experiments voluntarily. Soon this information was parroted as fact despite there being no actual evidence. So life moved on and no one did anything about it.

It puts a bit of a pit in his stomach, to put it lightly.

* * *

The fallout of All Might's death is what one would expect.

One villain alone controlled every part of the criminal underground to some degree. One hero acted as the Symbol of Peace and was one of the biggest reasons Japan has such a low incidence of criminal activity compared to the rest of the developed world. Both had kept things balanced on their respective sides. Both are dead now.

Crime rates begin to rise in their wake. There's a clear power struggle in the criminal underground as a result of the sudden vacuum left by All for One. Factions begin to form. The yakuza become relevant again. There are rumors that they have a drug that's able to erase people's quirks. The Superpower Liberation Army begins to gain more followers across the nation. There are more vigilantes popping up on top of all the villains. Heroes struggle to keep up – most of them aren't heavy hitters like those in the upper rankings.

Things don't change much where Midoriya lives. There are a lot of strong heroes there. It's the poorer areas that are really hit hardest. The ones where being a hero doesn't pay well and thus often get ignored. Those areas don't get reported on much either for the same reason.

Midoriya may not know anyone from those areas, but he hopes they'll be okay.

* * *

Lemillion officially debuts, and is quickly hailed as the next All Might.

Large and charismatic. Bright, friendly smile. Humble and down-to-earth. Hits hard-enough to send people flying. Was an integral part of All Might's final battle. Those traits alone are enough to draw people to him in droves. And he even manages to curb the rising crime rates a little on his own (actually debatable, but the news is going to keep pushing the narrative that heroes are still at the top of their game until there's widespread evidence to the contrary).

Unlike All Might, though, he can move through walls. This ability is what sets him apart from his predecessor. And yet it seems he's almost as powerful in terms of strength. He can take down villains before they know what hit them. And it definitely makes for some really cool entrances, even if it often ends fights in a matter of seconds.

His origin story is that he was trained by Sir Nighteye himself starting with an internship in his second year at U.A.. It's no secret that All Might and his former sidekick had quit working together a long time ago. However, this hero had apparently shown so much potential that they agreed to groom him to lead the next generation of heroes. And he was already so strong by his senior year of high school that All Might himself personally asked that he be allowed on the team of heroes assembled for the raid in Kamino.

And their efforts more than paid themselves off. Lemillion is strong. Capable. People look to him as a beacon of hope, even as someone so young. He's still ranked 3rd behind Endeavor and Hawks, but there's little doubt he's going to make it to the top soon.

The media adores him. Midoriya's friends are fanboys now. The_ internet_ is overall pretty positive about him. No one has anything _bad_ to say about him beyond the usual gossip rags (and even _they_ are grasping at straws). He's a boy scout with a clean slate who puts saving others above all else. He's got a great bedside manner and is more than happy to visit kids in hospitals. Most of the proceeds he gets from any commercials he does go to charity.

So by all means, Midoriya should like him too.

It's just...

Midoriya can't help but feel something is missing.

Maybe it's that he just doesn't have that much experience. Maybe it's the fact that he doesn't try and put on any airs of mystery. Maybe it's the way that his strength doesn't feel like it's a real part of him (the best way to put something Midoriya has never been able to quite articulate). Maybe it's that he hasn't entirely shaken off the association with All Might. Maybe it's an irrational anger that he wasn't able to _prevent_ All Might's death. There's just _something_ that stops him from getting as hyped up as his classmates, and not for a lack of trying.

There's always the possibility that Midoriya is just never going to be satisfied unless All Might's successor is a clone of him.

But the results speak for themselves. Even as a rookie hero, the numbers he puts out are what one would expect from far more experienced heroes. And he took down the last remaining members of the Villains Alliance! That fight with Gigantomachina was _insane_.

All Might would always be Midoriya's favorite. The work, the charisma, the merchandise (really, the only thing that stopped Midoriya from collecting more was the lack of any being made that weren't just reprints). But time marches on, and new heroes would always arrive to carry on the torch of past legacies.

And for All Might? That's Lemillion, whether or not Midoriya feels the same.

He's a good hero. A kind heart. The kids love him. There really isn't anything _wrong_ with him.

And Midoriya only wishes him the best.

* * *

Midoriya is hired by the Nippon News Network immediately after he graduates from college.

Absolutely no one is surprised by this. Midoriya's interest in heroes hasn't lessened in the slightest over the years. And with the passing of All Might, he's truly diversified his knowledge on the current heroes in service. His notebooks became spreadsheets. Certain observations got converted to numbers. Those numbers became datapoints. And that's only as a hobby.

He started off as an intern during college, and definitely did his fair share of gofer work and coffee runs. But he also absorbed information like a sponge. And the sheer amount of dedication he had got him a few extra tasks above his level, which he was only too happy to accept. And all that work culminated in a job offer at the end of the period. Really, the only _bad_ thing he got out of it was a nicotine addiction; and even then it was just the natural conclusion of always carrying a lighter around with him. Plus ultra.

He quickly makes a name for himself in the office with his ability to analyze. He still has all his notes on heroes, and getting his hands on statistical information recorded by actual professionals only compounds it. He can quickly discern the most important bits out of a slurry of information and give the key points to his boss, and he always feels a swell of pride when he hears something on the broadcast that _he_ pointed out specifically.

It's not long before they have him as small segment as an analyst. It's late-night, but it's a start. He builds up a niche following, becoming known for his ability to see things lots of people might not notice and present it in an easy-to-understand format. He even gets mentioned once in while on Lurkers (which he may or may not keep a tab open for on his web browser)!

Once in a while he'll get a fan letter from a viewer.

Once in a while a stranger will say hello while he's out getting groceries.

It's amazing.

* * *

Kacchan dies young in a blaze of glory.

It's a vicious firefight that kills him. A group of villains cropped up and tried to take over town he was stationed in by storm. The heroes in the area all rushed in to put a stop to it. Kacchan was one of the main reasons they only made it a few blocks before being thoroughly defeated.

The other main player was Resolve – also known as Endeavor's successor. He Kacchan had been rivals ever since their time at U.A.. In spite of that, the two of them often worked together – their ice and explosions always made quick work of villains, especially in tandem. And this time shouldn't have been any different.

Bu Kacchan was always a hothead that bit off more than he could chew. Midoriya had known that ever since they were kids. Going to U.A. had allowed him to truly spread his wings, which mellowed him out quite a bit; but he still rushed headfirst into odds well-stacked against him. It made sense since he always came out on top before. It's just that this time he wasn't so lucky.

Midoriya sees the raw footage. It's a mixed blessing of working at a station.

Kacchan isn't the first hero he's seen die on tape. And his death also isn't the most brutal. Part of Midoriya's job is taking data and repackaging it to be more digestible to the masses. Those first few years at the studio numbed him to that level of violence, so he continued doing so to always get the full picture even when he was at a point where he could just force one of the newbies to do watch it instead and just give him the gist of the details.

That doesn't stop him from crying in the bathroom for three hours after.

The footage is cut to be shown on TV, obviously. Midoriya sees that first-hand after taking the rest of the day off to go home early. His boss wasn't happy that he left so suddenly, but let it slide since it gave one of the newer hires a chance to get their feet wet.

The broadcast is aired with sterile detachment, as always. There's a somber tinge – there always is when a well-known hero dies, but that's all the tact modern-day news outlets allow for. With the advent of quirks and subsequently heroes came a certain amount of depersonalization to anyone in the spotlight. It wasn't something that happened overnight, of course; but when most notable crimes and disasters involve people dressed like comic book characters, it becomes a lot easier to think of them as such. And the stations that did got the best ratings. Funny how that works.

Midoriya lazily watches the screen over a smoldering cigarette and a now-lukewarm cup of noodles as the fill-in correspondent reports on things like the identities of the most important parties on the scene, what actions the heroes took to minimize civilian casualties, and how the incident was the first time Resolve had ever used his left side in the public eye.

* * *

Kacchan's funeral reminds him of All Might's in a way.

It was nowhere near the scale, obviously; but it clearly hit a lot of people hard. Even without it being the public spectacle it was in All Might's case, lots of people show up to observe the ceremony.

He and Resolve had shot up the hero rankings at a nearly unprecedented pace. Both were ranked in the top five by the time they were twenty, and it was only Endeavor, Hawks, and Lemillion that stopped them from going even further for those few years after. More than a few commentators noted how interesting it was to have all but one of the top five under the age of thirty, the one exception obviously going to retire within the next few years.

Midoriya's offered the chance to report on it. He turns it down. Partially because it would be a clear conflict of interest; partially because he knows he wouldn't be able to keep his composure as it was; mostly because _**it's a funeral, not a goddamn scoop**_.

Also Aunt Mitsuki made sure that no recordings were going to be allowed inside anyway.

That doesn't stop a few camera crews from stationing themselves outside the building. Though mysteriously, they pack up and left after certain heroes begin trickling in.

Instead he sits with the other family and friends. Quite a few of them are heroes, most marked by small bits of their hero costumes on their person over their plain black suits and dresses. Most of them keep their composure better than he does, and a few of them go up to read eulogies themselves; but from what he can tell, everyone from his graduating class is misty-eyed at the very least.

He meets some of those other U.A. graduates and the reception after. He knows Earphone Jack from a small interview he'd done with her and Destegoro. He knows Tsukuyomi from his time with Hawks. They all keep a polite distance from him at first, but let down some of those walls as soon as he explains that he was friends with Kacchan when they were kids and that nothing he hears here will make it back to the station.

Red Riot is definitely the most genial out of all of them. He and Kacchan were best friends back in high school. Midoriya had even crossed paths with them a few times. They exchange stories anf pleasantries. It lightens the mood a bit. Red Riot is the type to try and keep up a smile and try and comfort everyone else in these types of situations. It's normal to mourn, but Kacchan had so many accomplishments to celebrate as well. As he put it: "What kind of man would I be if I didn't remember all the good times too?"

(His eyes are puffier than anyone else's. There are dark bags under them. Midoriya chooses not to mention it.)

Midoriya sees Resolve talking with Kacchan's parents on the other side of the room. He's too far to hear what's being said; but whatever it is, it's enough for Aunt Mitsuki and Uncle Masaru to cry and hug him.

* * *

The full extent of All for One's crimes never truly comes to light.

The 10-year anniversary of the Tragedy of Kamino makes more people research the incident, but there's only so much research one can do when most of the information available is hearsay and not vetted in any way, shape, or form.

Midoriya already knew about the human experimentation – how the Nomu were people that were rendered mindless beasts after having extra quirks stuffed into them. He knew that the Kamino tragedy was caused in part because of the raid on the 'factory' (for lack of a better word) located in the middle of the city. But the purpose behind those experiments was still a mystery. 'Power' was a predictable, if nebulous, answer; but there wasn't anything that Midoriya knew about that would let him glean an answer.

(He's seen pictures of the doctor who came up with the procedure to create them. There's something strangely familiar he can't put his finger on. A little searching reveals him to have once been a doctor in Midoriya's own hometown, as well as the grandfather of one of his own childhood friends. When he asks, Mom says he's the doctor that told her that Midoriya was quirkless.)

(Funny how that works.)

The people used in those experiments had been mostly those people would consider the dregs of society. Most were violent criminals who could die without anyone missing them. Only a few had family that wanted to get to the bottom of the issue. Even fewer had the resources to do anything about it. Midoriya has a colleague who'd done an interview with some of them. He also knows about the gag order from the government placed on pretty much all the news organizations that prevented them from actually reporting on it (and it's actually all when not counting tabloids).

There are quite a few leads Midoriya could take if he really wanted to, but it's not his job. He does some digging. His curiosity isn't sated in the slightest. But even with the little information he has (though it's still more than most people have), he knows if he continues down that rabbit hole there's a very good chance he'll do something he regrets.

He's in his twenties, and he has nowhere near enough clout to go rogue and say what he wants without tanking his career. And if he gets fired for something like that, he'll be blacklisted from the industry entirely. It's terrible just how much is being covered up. And since the media really _does_ dictate what becomes relevant and stays relevant in the public conscious (an unfortunate reality, the true extent of which is unknown to the general public), he can't even bank on the Streisand effect taking hold.

It's over. It's done with. All for One has been dead for a decade. The man who was supposed to succeed him is rotting in Tartarus. Anyone otherwise connected to him is either in prison, or dropped off the face of the earth a long time ago. There's no point in trying to force it into the public eye for the sake of whatever closure a lucky few could get out of it.

Coincidentally, a movie based on All Might's final battle releases around the same time. It does... well in the box office. Midoriya goes to see it because he's a fanboy at heart even after all these years. He's tempted to walk out not even a few minutes in.

* * *

He gets married on the 29th of April.

His fiancee is a camera technician. Like many couples their age, the two of them meet on the job. They were both obsessed with heroes as kids. Both idolized All Might. Both wanted to be heroes when they were younger, but chose more practical careers for their skillsets. Midoriya wanted to use his knowledge on heroes and quirks in general to help people and be acknowledged for it, which he got to do during broadcasts. His fiancee wanted to get in on the action, and operating the camera on the scene was thrilling work in its own right.

Chats during downtime turn into getting coffee during their breaks, which turns into getting dinner once in a while, which turns into a relationship. Their mutual interest in heroes leads to a lot of their dates taking place at various expos and events. Soon they begin spending nights at one another's apartments, which turns into moving in together (though the amount of duplicates in their combined merchandise collections is a tad awkward at first).

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the two of them get engaged.

Mom is the first one they break the news to. She breaks down in tears (the good kind).

Next is the in-laws. Both of them are happy too (if with significantly less crying).

All their coworkers have to say is "about time."

They have a private western-style wedding at a small chapel near the apartment. The guest list is larger than Midoriya anticipated, being made up of a number of friends, family members, and colleagues they've met over the years. But it's manageable number – every single person invited is on that list for a reason. Not a single one is extraneous. And for such a big occasion, he wouldn't _dream_ of cutting them out.

Even Dad comes. It's the first time Midoriya has seen him in person since graduating high school. Dad apologizes for not bring there for him over the years. Midoriya understands the sacrifices he made to support his family, though he won't allow his own kids to grow up without seeing their father. He doesn't harbor any resentment.

Dad also tells him he's moving back home. Years working his way up the corporate ladder have finally given him the option to spend the rest of his career in any branch of the company he wants. And of course he chose the one closest to his family. It won't make up for all the lost time, but they can finally begin to build a real relationship. Midoriya agrees wholeheartedly.

His friends give him hearty slaps on the back and tell him not to be nervous. They're not the ones getting married today, but he appreciates the thought. It feels like only last week that he was in high school. It feels like only a few days ago that he started as an intern at the studio. Now he's an adult ready to jump into the next stage of his life.

And he wouldn't have it any other way.

The ceremony goes smoothly. It takes more than a little effort to push the tears back when his bride walks through those double doors. She's so beautiful. It's like he can't see anyone else. Time slows as she walks step by step down the aisle. She's smiling too.

The minister makes his speech perfectly. Rings are exchanged. Midoriya wishes that kiss could last an eternity.

He's so happy.

* * *

The years go by.

Midoriya and his wife have two children – both boys. Midoriya continues to work diligently at the studio. His wife stays at home for a few years to take care of the kids after they're born. They'd both decided it made the most sense for the spouse whose face is on camera every night to keep doing just that. Though that doesn't mean he doesn't make sure to come home early enough to see the kids before bedtime. It's the favorite part of his day.

The older boy has his mother's quirk. He can extend his appendages like rubber. It makes childproofing the house an interesting task. 'Keep things in high places where the little ones can't reach' stops being practical advice when one of those 'little ones' can make himself taller than you.

The younger boy can breathe fire, just like his grandfather. It's quite rare for a quirk to skip a generation patrilineally, but not unheard of. Funny enough, it is also on his fifth birthday that his quirk manifests – except this time the cake is burned to a crisp. But the pictures from that day bring a smile to Midoriya's face whenever he looks back at them.

After his wife returns to the workforce, the kids often stay with their Grandma Inko and Grandpa Hisashi. Both kids love watching heroes in action, though neither are as obsessed as their father was at that age. The older's favorite hero is Lemillion. The younger's is Gale Force. Both have framed autographs in their respective rooms, something that Midoriya may or may not have pulled a few strings to get.

The boys grow like weeds and graduate from high school before he knows it. His firstborn becomes the accountant for a local hero office. His second becomes an audio engineer for the NNN. Both are hard-working and successful in their chosen careers. Both meet wonderful women and start families of their own. Babysitting the grandchildren becomes the highlight of his week. They grow up healthy and strong too. In what seems like the blink of an eye, they're already going to elementary school.

Midoriya is so, _so_ proud of his family.

* * *

There are, of course, things Midoriya wishes he could have done differently over the course of his life.

There are times where he wishes he had a hero license. As a reporter and as an analyst, he can only watch things happen from the sidelines. He can only look on events with hindsight. And he knows a lot of people get information from his show, but there are times when he can see a fire or an explosion and thinks that if he _just had the training_...

There are times where he wishes he had revealed to the public the actual extent of All for One's human experimentation. He knows why no one had ever done it. He also why _he_ had never done it. Certain parts had leaked onto the internet over the years, but there was never any uproar big-enough to truly expose it. And now after so many years, it was more like an unfortunate factoid in the annals of history than anything important to more than a few. Maybe if he'd made stronger connections, maybe if he _just_ _had the courage_...

There are times he wishes he could have done an interview with All Might before he passed. Even fifty years later, many still consider him to be the greatest hero Japan's ever had. And whenever he was asked, Midoriya always cited him as the reason he got so interested in heroes in the first place. If he could, he'd have thanked him for being such a great influence on his life. All Might died before Midoriya ever had the chance to meet him, but he likes to think if he _just __had the chance_...

He's sure if there was a quirk capable of time travel and its user offered him the chance, he might make small changes. Save a life, redo a mistake. Everyone has things they would like to make better. Midoriya is no exception.

But this life? This life with his smart, talented, beautiful wife and equally amazing children and grandchildren? This successful career that has given him the chance to be seen and acknowledged by millions across the country? These friendships built with classmates, coworkers, heroes, and everyone else he's met? Everything he worked so hard to achieve over the years?

He wouldn't trade it for the world.

* * *

**A/N:** The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of Resolve as Todoroki's hero name.

Also imo Iida dying is a constant in most MHA timelines.

And to be perfectly honest, I think that all that childhood social isolation is the biggest factor of why Deku wanted to be a hero so badly. Instead of discouraging him, it pushed him to cling to his dreams since he didn't really have anything else going for him. If he had friends and people that supported him, ironically I think he'd have realized he's someone 'not really cut out for hero work', since he wouldn't have any reason to have grown that single-minded determination that made him apply to U.A. in the first place.


End file.
